This invention relates generally to oil and gas exploration, and in particular to forming and repairing wellbore casings to facilitate oil and gas exploration.
During oil exploration, a wellbore typically traverses a number of zones within a subterranean formation. Wellbore casings are then formed in the wellbore by radially expanding and plastically deforming tubular members that are coupled to one another by threaded connections. Existing methods for radially expanding and plastically deforming tubular members coupled to one another by threaded connections are not always reliable or produce satisfactory results. In particular, the threaded connections can be damaged during the radial expansion process.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the limitations of the existing processes for radially expanding and plastically deforming tubular members coupled to one another by threaded connections.